Finishing bead



G m s N A L J. F.

FINISHING BEAD 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Original Filed Dec. 8. 1960 FIG! mw w F G 3 INVENTOR.

FREDERICK J. LANSING March 15, 1966 LANSING 3,239,987

FINISHING BEAD Original Filed Dec. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 38 INVENTOR.

FREDERICK J. LANSING his attorneys.

March 15, 1966 LANSING 3,239,987

FINISHING BEAD Original Filed Dec. 8. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 46 58 FIG.|4

INVENTOR. FREDERICK J. LANSING his attorneys.

United States Patent 3,239,987 FINISHING READ Frederick J. Lansing, New York, N.Y., assignor to The Schlegel Manufacturing Company, a corporation of New York Continuation of application Ser. No. 74,951, Dec. 8, 1960.

This application Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 261,252 7 Claims. (Cl. 52716) This application is a continuation of my application, Serial No. 74,951, filed Dec. 8, 1960, and now abandoned, and said application, Serial No. 74,951 is in turn a continuation-in-part of my earlier application, Serial No. 4,255, filed Jan. 25, 1960 and now abandoned, has been inserted.

This invention relates to trimming strips or beads for sealing, finishing or garnishing the projecting edges of structural bodies, such for example .as the edges of metal panels or plates forming parts of the doors, door frames or other closures or parts of the interiors of automobile bodies and the like, one object of the invention being to provide an improved trimming bead of the character described having a more practical and eflicient type of construction.

Another object is to provide such a bead having a flexible construction capable of being readily bent to fit variously curved edges of such plates.

Another object is to provide a bead having a construction adapted to be conveniently applied to an edge to be finished and to thereafter tenaciously and permanently grip and adhere to said edge.

Still a further object is to provide a bead having the above advantages in a construction capable of being readily and economically manufactured ready for fitting directly to the edges to be finished.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

FIG.. 1 is an enlarged transverse sectional view through a bead embodying the present invention and showing the same applied to. the edge of a metal plate or panel;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the action of the means for locking the bead to the panel under the application of a force tending to remove the same therefrom;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the supporting frame of the bead and showing the combination therewith of the means for locking the head to the panel;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 on the line 55 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the piling up or positioning of the locking cords by the weft loops securing the same to the fabric of the bead;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of the supporting frame of the bead;

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the supporting frame positioned on the fabric facing strip prior to the shaping thereof;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the facing strip edges Wrapped around the edges of the supporting frame;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the bead, illustrating its flexibility;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing a modified construction;

3,239,987 Patented Mar. 15, 1966 FIG. 12 is an enlarged schematic view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating the modification of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged schematic section of strands and weaving on the line 13-43 in FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged schematic section similar to FIG. 13 but on the line 1414 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged schematic section similar to FIG. 13 but showing the weft threads drawn taut;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view partly in section showing a modification of the construction shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a further modification;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged schematic view similar to FIGS. 3 and 12 but illustrating the modified construction of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged schematic section of weaving on the line 1919 in FIG. 18; and

FIG. 20 is a reduced side elevation of the modification of FIG. 17.

One embodiment of the invention herein disclosed by Way of illustration preferably comprises :a flexibly resilient supporting member or frame of generally channel shape for embracing the panel edge to be finished, means on the channed side walls or flanges for locking the head to the panel edge and a facing strip for covering and finishing the exposed portions of the head. The supporting member or frame, indicated generally at 20, is preferably constructed of flexibly resilient wire elements 22 (FIGS. 7 and 8) capable of resiliently maintaining the generally channel shape to which the frame is formed. A construction which has been found particularly efficient, comprises the wire 22 first looped back and forth in a plane to provide spaced substantially parallel cross strands, as shown, the outer ends of which are connected by smooth bends to provide relative smooth edges. The wires are preferably covered and held in spaced relation by a multiplicity of lines of stitching 24, preferably of the chain type and the member so formed is bent into the generally channel, or more specifically, oval shape shown in FIG. 1, with the loop ends at the outer edges of the channels bent inwardly as at 26 toward each other for engagement with the sides of the panel to be finished. The stitching, holding the frame wires, may be formed with any suitable thread material and preferably covers the marginal portions of the frame as shown, although it may entirely cover the frame, if desired. The stitching chains are preferably assembled compactly together, being shown in the drawing in a somewhat dispersed condition for better illustration.

The supporting frame, constructed as described above, is covered by a strip of facing material 28 which preferably consists of a strong woven fabric of pleasing appearance. The inner surface of the facing material is covered with a coating 30 of latex or other suitable permanently flexible adhesive, the frame 20 is applied thereto (FIG. 8) and the outer edges 32 of the facing are wrapped inwardly around the outer edges of the wire frame (FIG. 9) the supporting frame and facing being subsequently bent into the substantially channel shape shown in FIG. 1.

The inturned edges 32 of the facing material have interwoven therewith a plurality of panel gripping or locking cords 34, 36 and 38 shown schematically in FIGS. 36, inclusive, and in operating positions in FIGS. 1 and 2. These cords may be cords of jute, hemp or the like, preferably of a twisted nature, or may be made of paper, rubber or other suitable materials and they are preferably quite dense in composition so that they will not be readily deformed or compressed. These cords are larger in diameter than the threads of the facing material. Their diameter depends somewhat upon the spacing of the channel flanges and the thickness of the panel to which attached. A diameter, uncompressed, of about one-sixteenth of an inch has been commonly found satisfactory.

The locking cords 34, 36 and 38 are interwoven with Weft threads 40 of the facing material 28 extended from its edges, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 8 and 9 and schematically in FIGS. 3-6, inclusive. As shown, cords 34 and 36 are preferably interwoven with the looped weft threads 40 in the order of one-up and three-down, as viewed from the outer face of the facing fabric 28-, one cord being up while the other is down, while cord 38 is preferably interwoven alternately up and down with the weft threads, as shown in FIG. 3. FIGS. 4 and 5 show the arrangements schematically at different points in the weaving. FIG. 6 shows the cord 36 pulled in by one weft thread 40 and cord 34 pulled in by another, to assemble or pile up the cords into a substantially triangular relation as shown in FIG. 1 where the bead has been applied to the panel 42 and the cord 36 pressed downwardly out of the path of the panel. In FIG. 2 is shown the resulting movement and compression of the cord 36 under a force tending to remove the bead from the panel and it will be noted that the cord is compressed against the cord 38 and deformed so that it is compressed against the panel to frictionally grip it and hold the panel thereon.

It will be noted that the cords 34 and 38, which are held more closely to the channel sides, are disposed at an inward and upward inclination by the channel flanges, so that while cord 36 is readily pressed inwardly opposite cord 34 during application of the bead to the panel, as shown in FIG. 1, the remaining cord 38 forms a projecting abutment against which cord 36 is compressed to grip the panel and hold the bead thereon.

It Will be understood that the flanges of the panel may be variably spaced apart to closely embrace panels of different thickness, by corresponding bending of the supporting frame 22 which has sufficient resilience, however, to maintain the shape to which it is bent. The outer edges of the flanges are preferably bent inward sufiiciently to protect the locking cords from being sheared off by the insertion of the panel and to insure the described positioning of the locking cords which reaches its maximum locking effectiveness as and when the centers of cords 36 and 38 lie on a line approaching a perpendicular'to the sides of the flanges. The latex adhesive referred to above securely unites the facing material 28 and its cords 34 and 38 with the supporting frame 22 and its threading 24 and latex may be applied, as desired, to one or more of the locking cords to increase their gripping action.

A modification of the above embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1'1 to 15, inclusive, where the supporting frame is formed as before by wires 22 looped and bent into the same generally channel shape. The wire loops are secured in spaced relation, as before, by stitching 46 which, however, extends over the major portion of the flanges of the frame. The frame has the outer surface of its bottom and one flange covered by facing material 48 the outer edges of which are wrapped inwardly around the outer edges of the frame and carried down over the stitching 46 with selvage edges at 52. The inner surfaces of the facing are covered with a coating 50 of latex or similar adhesive for securing it to the frame and its stitching, as described above. At a portion of the inturned edges of the facing material, spaced above its lower edge and below the edges of the flanges, a plurality of weft threads 54 of the material are looped around locking strands 56, 58 and 60, arranged and operating as described above in connection with the strands 34, 36 and 38 of the above modification, but the attachment of the lower edge 52 of the fabric to the frame serves to more strongly anchor such strands. The fabric material 48 at one side of the frame is extended to enclose as at 61, a crescent-shaped strip of foam rubber, foam plastic or other suitable material, as shown at 62, secured by the latex to the frame and serving to more tightly close and seal a body opening or gap and protect, trim and ornament the garnishing bead.

The locking strand 56 is preferably somewhat smaller in diameter than the strands 58 and 60 and the arrangement of these strands with the weft threads of the facing material is shown in enlarged detail in FIGS. 12 to 15, inclusive.

Another modified improvement is shown in FIG. 16 where the supporting frame 63, similarly formed of looped wires, is of more nearly rectangular form with its bottom and side flanges of substantially plane shape, the flanges being inclined inwardly to bring their outer edges into engagement with the opposite sides of the body edge 42 to be trimmed. The wire loops are secured in spaced relation, as before, by lock stitching 64 which is preferably applied throughout the bottom and flanges of the frame. The frame is covered, as before, by a strip of facing material 66 wrapped inwardly around the outer edges of the flanges of the frame and terminating in edges 68. This material is secured to the frame and its stitching by a coating of latex as before, but completely omitted in FIG. 16 for better illustration of the other parts. At portions of the inturned margins of the facing material 66, spaced above their lower edges 68, weft threads 78 are extended and looped around longitudinally extending strands 72, 74 and 76, corresponding to strands 56, 58 and 60 shown in FIG. 11, for securing them to the frame for the same functions. The facing fabric 66 is extended at one corner between the bottom and one flange of the frame, as at 80, so as to wrap around a cylindrical strip 82 of foam rubber, foam plastic, or other suitable material and secure it in position to protect, trim and ornament the bead, as described above in connection with the material 62 of the modification of FIG. 11.

Another modification is shown in FIGS. 17 to 20, inclusive, where the supporting frame is formed by a length of wire formed to provide loops 84 similar to the loops 22 of the first modification, except that this frame is of rectangular shape. The upper ends of the frame flanges are turned inwardly as at 86, for engagement with the opposite sides of the body edge 42. The frame loops are secured in spaced relation by lock stitching 88 similar to the stitching 24 of the first modification, but here applied throughout the frame. The frame is covered by a strip of facing material 89 as before, with a coating 90 of latex securing it to the frame and its stitching. The edges of the facing material are wrapped inwardly around the edges of the frame flanges, as before, and extended adjacent the bottom of the flanges. At a portion spaced above the edges of the facing material, its weft threads 92 are extended and looped around locking strands 94, 96 and 98 having the functions described above in connection with strands 34, 36 and 38 of the first modification. In this modification also, the strands 94 and 98 are preferably smaller in diameter than strand 96. Here also strands 94 and 98 are preferably anchored to the frame by its latex coating, while strand 96 is movably held by the loops 92 for gripping engagement with the body edge 42 in cooperation with the abutment strands 94 and 98. Each edge 100 of the facing material has weft strands 102 extended and looped around large longitudinal strands 104 filling the space between the frame and the body edge 42 for engagement with the latter, in cooperation with the inturned edges of the frame flanges, to balance and stabilize their engagement with the body edge. FIGS. 18 and 19 show in enlarged detail the arrangement of the locking strands and the weft threads of the facing material for securing them in position. The facing material 89 is here provided with a longitudinally extending strip or body of pile threads 106 projecting outwardly from the material to seal openings or crevices and protect, trim and ornament the beads, in place of the foam rubber strips 62 and 82 described above in Connection with FIGS. 11 and 16.

The invention thus provides a finishing bead which is extremely flexible for convenient application to panel edges of varying curvature, shape, and thickness, in a simple and efficient construction for securely fastening the bead to the panel by pressing it into position over the panel edge, as well as a construction which is readily and economically manufactured.

It will thus be seen that the invention accomplishes its objects and while it has been herein disclosed by reference to the details of preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such disclosure is intended in an illustrative, rather than a limiting sense, as it is contemplated that various modifications in the construction and arrangement of the parts will readily occur to those skilled in the art, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A garnishing bead that is adapted to be permanently mounted over the edge of a structural panel for trimming the panel, comprising an elongate supporting member that is generally channel-shaped and substantially rigid in transverse cross section, said member having a longitudinally extending opening to receive therein the edge and an adjacent portion of a panel, and having confronting internal surface areas that are disposed to confront surface areas on opposite sides of an inserted panel respectively, a longitudinally extending abutement element mounted on one of said internal surface areas of said supporting member, an elongate, flexible, longitudinallyextending panel contact element, an elongate, longitudinally extending support element mounted on the same surface area adjacent said abutment element for supponting said panel contact element, said support element being more remote from said opening than said abutment element, said panel contact element being mounted intermediate said abutement element and said support element and for movement relative to both of said abutment element and said support element, said elements being disposed and proportioned always to maintain frictional engagement between said panel contact element and a panel that is fully inserted in said opening, and to permit movement of said panel contact element intermediate the surface of an inserted panel and said support element without material resistance to the insertion of the panel, and to become interposed and wedged between said abutment element and the panel upon withdrawal of the panel, frictionally to resist the withdrawal.

2. A garnishing head in accordance with claim 1 wherein said abutment element is disposed to be in closer proximity to the confronting surface area of an inserted panel than is said support element.

3. A garnishing bead in accordance with claim 1 wherein the structure on the other of said internal surface areas of said supporting member is similar to but in oppositely disposed relation with the recited structure on the first of said areas for engagement with the opposite side of an inserted panel.

4. A garnishing head in accordance with claim 1 including an elongate, compressible cushion element that is disposed on the exterior of said supporting member to extend longitudinally thereof.

5. A garnishing bead adapted to be attached to and supported by the edge of a structural body for trimming the same, comprising a supporting member of generally channel shape having opposing flanges with edges adapted to fixedly embrace and enclose said body edge, a flexible strand of material extending longitudinally of said memher and movably supported on the inner face of one of said flanges inwardly from the edge thereof, and a pair of strands of material extending longitudinally of said member and fixed adjacent each other on the inner face of said one flange, with said movably supported strand located intermediate the strands of said pair and held by said pair of strands in position for contact with said body edge, the strand of said pair that is nearer said one flange edge being disposed to project closer to said body edge than the other strand of said pair for pressing said movably supported strand into gripping engagement with said body edge on movement of said bead outwardly of said body edge, to hold said bead against movement on said body edge.

6. A garnishing bead adapted to be attached to and supported by the edge of a structural body for trimming the same, comprising a supporting member of generally channel shape having opposing flanges with edges adapted to fixedly embrace and enclose said :body edge, a strip of woven facing material covering the outer surfaces of said member and wrapped inwardly around said edges of said flanges thereof, a strand of material extending longitudinally of said member on the inner face of one of said flanges inwardly from said edge thereof, said facing material having threads thereof looped around and supporting said strand for movement toward and away from said edge of said flange, and a pair of strands of material extending longitudinally of said member and fixed adjacent each other on the inner face of said one flange, with said movably supported strand located intermediate the strands of said pair and held by said pair of strands in position for engaging said body edge, the strand of said pair nearer said edge of said flange being disposed to project closer to said body edge than the other strand of said pair for pressing said movably supported strand into gripping engagement with said body edge on movement of said head outwardly of said body edge, to hold said lbead against movement on said body edge.

7. A garnishing head that is adapted to be permanently mounted over the edge of a structural panel for trimming the panel, comprising an elongate supporting member that is generally channel-shaped and substantially rigid in transverse section, said member having a longitudinally extending opening to receive the edge and an adjacent portion of the panel therein and having confronting interal surface areas that are disposed to confront opposite surface areas of said panel respectively when said head is mounted on the panel, a longitudinally extending abutment member mounted on one of the said surface areas of said supporting member, an elongate, flexible, longitudinally extending panel contact element that is mounted adjacent said abutment member and that is movable relative to said abutment member, said panel contact element being mounted for frictional engagement with the surface of a panel that is inserted in the opening of the supporting member and being disposed so that, upon any movement of the panel to withdraw the panel from the opening, the panel contact element is move-d by the panel to be interposed and wedged between the panel and the abutment member, to restrain the withdrawal of the panel, and an elongate support element mounted on the said surface area of said supporting member and interposed between said surface area and said panel contact element, and wherein said support element is disposed and proportioned to limit the movement of said panel contact element to position it for engagement with the panel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,903,541 4/1933 Bailey 2069 2,191,549 2/1940 Spraragen 2069 2,433,333 12/1947 Best 296-445 2,699,581 1/ 1955 Schlegel 20 69 2,746,103 5/ 1956 Bright 20-69 RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Primary Examiner. JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. 

6. A GARNISHING BEAD ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO AND SUPPORTED BY THE EDGE OF A STRUCTURAL BODY FOR TRIMMING THE SAME, COMPRISING A SUPPORTING MEMBER OF GENERALLY CHANNEL SHAPE HAVING OPPOSING FLANGES WITH EDGES ADAPTED TO FIXEDLY EMBRACE AND ENCLOSE SAID BODY EDGE, A STRIP OF WOVEN FACING MATERIAL COVERING THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID MEMBER AND WRAPPED INWARDLY AROUND SAID EDGES OF SAID FLANGES THEREOF, A STRAND OF MATERIAL EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MEMBER ON THE INNER FACE OF ONE OF SAID FLANGES INWARDLY FROM SAID EDGE THEREOF, SAID FACING MATERIAL HAVING THREADS THEREOF LOOPED AROUND AND SUPPORTING SAID STRAND FOR MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY JFROM SAID EDGE OF SAID FLANGE, AND A PAIR OF STRANDS OF MATERIAL EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID MEMBER AND FIXED ADJACENT EACH OTHER ON THE INNER FACE OF SAID ONE FLANGE, WITH SAID MOVABLY SUPPORTED STRAND LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE STRANDS OF SAID PAIR AND HELD BY SAID PAIR OF STRANDS IN POSITION FOR ENGAGING SAID BODY EDGE, THE STRAND OF SAID PAIR NEARER SAID EDGE OF SAID FLANGE BEING DISPOSED TO PROJECT CLOSER TO SAID BODY EDGE THAN THE OTHER STRAND OF SAID PAIR FOR PRESSING SAID MOVABLY SUPPORTED STRAND INTO GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BODY EDGE ON MOVEMENT OF SAID BEAD OUTWARDLY OF SAID BODY EDGE, TO HOLD SAID BEAD AGAINST MOVEMENT ON SAID BODY EDGE. 